Disposable cup dispenser

ABSTRACT

A disposable cup dispenser includes a housing defining a cavity for receiving a plurality of associated disposable cups and a plurality of fingers extending from the housing into the cavity. The plurality of fingers includes a first finger and a second finger positioned above the first finger. The first finger is disposed closer to a closed end of the cavity as compared to an open end of the cavity.

BACKGROUND

Disposable cup dispensers can be found in bathrooms. Some known disposable cup dispensers are configured to hold what are known in the art as 3 ounce bath cups. These 3 ounce bath cups are typically made from paper or plastic and hold 3 ounces (about 90 ml) of fluid.

Some known disposable cup dispensers include springs that bias the cups upwardly towards a lid of the dispenser. Other dispensers may not include a spring. A drawback of known disposable cup dispensers is that it can be difficult for a user to remove only one cup while allowing the remaining cups to remain within the dispenser.

SUMMARY

In view of the foregoing, an example of a disposable cup dispenser includes a housing defining a cavity for receiving a plurality of associated disposable cups and a plurality of flexible fingers extending from the housing into the cavity. The plurality of fingers includes a first finger and a second finger. The first finger is disposed closer to a closed end of the cavity as compared to an open end of the cavity.

The second finger can be positioned closer to the open end of the cavity as compared to the first finger. The second finger can also be longer than the first finger. The plurality of fingers can be centered along a vertical line. Each finger can be generally rectangular in plan view. Each finger of the plurality of fingers can extend from a base, and the plurality of fingers and the base can be an integrally formed cup gripping member, which can be made from silicone.

The housing can include an inner housing and an outer housing, and the base can be sandwiched between the inner housing and the outer housing. The inner housing can include an elongate opening through which at least one of a pedestal, which extends from the base, and the plurality of fingers extends.

The plurality of fingers can include a first plurality of fingers and a second plurality of fingers circumferentially spaced from the first plurality of fingers. The first plurality of fingers can be circumferentially spaced about 180 degrees from the second plurality of fingers. The housing can include a first slot and a second slot each extending from an open end edge of the housing. The first slot can be circumferentially spaced about 180 degrees from the second slot. The housing can include a slot extending from an open end edge of the housing and the slot can be circumferentially disposed between the first plurality of fingers and the second plurality of fingers.

The housing can define a central axis and a distal end of each finger can be spaced from the central axis a distance d, which is less than a radius of a conventional 3 ounce bath cup measured at an upper lip of the conventional 3 ounce bath cup. The dispenser can further include a cup support, which can be an upside down cup-shaped support positioned in the cavity. The upside down cup-shaped support can include a cylindrical wall section and a conical wall section. The conical wall section can conform substantially to a sidewall of a conventional 3 ounce bath cup. A platform of the cup support can be positioned closer to the open end edge of the housing as compared to a curved closed end of the slot in the housing. The dispenser can further include a weight connected with the housing. The weight weighs more than a force required to pull a conventional paper or plastic 3 ounce bath cup past each of the fingers of the plurality of fingers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a disposable cup dispenser and a plurality of conventional disposable 3 ounce bath cups that can be dispensed using the disposable cup dispenser.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the disposable cup dispenser depicted in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the disposable cup dispenser and with some 3 ounce bath cups loaded into the dispenser.

FIG. 4 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the disposable cup dispenser and the disposable cups loaded in the disposable cup dispenser.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the disposable cup dispenser similar to FIG. 3 with a slot in the housing shown in phantom.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 depicts a disposable cup dispenser 10 and disposable cups C that can be dispensed using the dispenser. The illustrated disposable cup dispenser 10 is sized and configured for dispensing conventional 3 ounce bath cups. Nevertheless, the size of the dispenser 10 and the components that make up the dispenser can be modified so that the dispenser can be used to dispense disposable cups of a different size than the conventional 3 ounce bath cup. The dispenser 10 includes a housing 12 defining a cavity 14 for receiving a plurality of disposable cups C. A plurality of flexible fingers 16 and 18 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) extend from the housing 12 into the cavity 14. The fingers 16 cooperate with the cups C in a manner described in more detail below.

FIG. 1 depicts the dispenser 10 oriented in a manner such that the cups C are pulled in an upward direction to be removed from the housing 12. The dispenser 10 will be described below in this orientation, and relative references such as “upper” and “lower” and the like will be used to describe this orientation. These relative terms are used for ease of understanding the drawings, and should not be used to limit the invention to any particular orientation. The dispenser 10 could also be oriented so that the cups are pulled in a downward direction to be removed from the housing 12.

With reference to FIG. 2, the housing 12 includes an inner housing 20 and an outer housing 22. The inner housing 20 is received in the outer housing 22 when the dispenser 10 is assembled. The inner housing 20 connects with the outer housing 22 using adhesive or another type of known attachment. The housing 10 is shown as generally cylindrical in configuration, and both the inner housing 20 and the outer housing 22 are similarly generally cylindrical in configuration. The housing generally conforms in shape to the cups C received in the dispenser 10, although this is not required. The housing 12 can take configurations other than cylindrical. The housing 20 defines a central axis 24, and the inner housing 20 and the outer housing 22 are centered with respect to the central axis 24, which is generally vertically oriented.

With reference back to FIG. 1, the housing 12 includes an open end edge 30 and a bottom surface 32 (per the orientation shown in FIG. 1). The housing 12 is open to allow for the loading and dispensing of the cups C. In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 10 includes a first slot 34 and a second slot 36 each extending down (per the orientation shown in FIG. 1) from the open end edge 30 of the housing 12. The slots 34, 36 allow for a person to insert her fingers or thumb into the slots 34, 36 to grasp one of the cups C that is to be removed from the dispenser 10. The first slot 34 is diametrically opposed from the second slot 36. In other words, the first slot 34 is circumferentially spaced about 180 degrees from the second slot 36. Each of the slots 34, 36 is generally U-shaped, and a respective curved closed end 38, 42 of each of the slots 34, 36 is positioned about midway between the open end edge 30 and the bottom surface 32 of the housing 12.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the housing 12 includes elongate openings 44, 46 through which the plurality of fingers 16, 18 extend. The elongate openings 44, 46 are elongated in the vertical direction, which is parallel with the central axis 24. As more clearly seen in FIG. 2, in the illustrated embodiment the elongate openings 44, 46 are formed in the inner housing 20. The first elongate opening 44 is diametrically opposed, i.e., circumferentially spaced about 180 degrees from, the second elongate opening 46. The first plurality of fingers 16 extends through the first elongate opening 44. The second plurality of fingers 18 extends through the second elongate opening 46.

The first elongate opening 44 is circumferentially spaced about 90 degrees from the first slot 34 and the second slot 36 in the housing 12. Similarly, the second elongate opening 46 is also circumferentially spaced about 90 degrees from the first slot 34 and the second slot 36 in the housing 12. As more clearly seen in FIG. 4, the inner housing 20 includes a horizontal shoulder 48. Each of the slots 44, 46 extends into the horizontal shoulder 48 of the inner housing 20 as can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The outer housing 22 provides a decorative shell for the dispenser 10. With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the outer housing 22 includes a circular lower (per the orientation shown in FIGS. 3 and 4) opening 52. The inner housing 20 includes a cylindrical protrusion 54 extending downwardly (per the orientation shown in FIGS. 3 and 4) from a base 58 of the inner housing 20. The cylindrical protrusion 54 is received in the lower opening 52 of the outer housing 22 to facilitate the connection between the inner housing 20 and the outer housing 22. The inner housing 20 also includes a boss 56 centered along the central axis 24. The boss 56 extends upwardly (per the orientation shown in FIGS. 3 and 4) from the base 58 of the inner housing 20 and includes a fastener opening 62, which is also aligned with the central axis 24.

With reference back to FIG. 2, the dispenser 10 includes the first plurality of fingers 16 and the second plurality of fingers 18. The first plurality of fingers 16 each extend from a base 70, and the plurality of fingers 16 and the base 70 are integrally formed so as to form an integrally formed first cup gripping member 72. A second cup gripping member 74 is also provided in the dispenser 10 and the second plurality of fingers 18 are provided on the second cup gripping member. The first cup gripping member 72 is identical in configuration to the second cup gripping member 74, and thus only the first cup gripping member will be described. The base 70 of the first cup gripping member 72 is generally a thin flat member that is elongate in the vertical direction. A pedestal 76 is centered along the base 70. Each of the fingers of the plurality of fingers 16 extends from the pedestal 76 so as to extend from the base 70. The first cup gripping member 72 also includes a lower horizontally disposed base flange 78. A horizontally disposed pedestal 82, which is continuous with the pedestal 76, extends upwardly from the horizontal base flange 78. The pedestal 76, 82 conforms in shape with the elongate opening 44 in the housing 12. When the dispenser is assembled, the base 70 is sandwiched between the inner housing 20 and the outer housing 22. The inner housing 20 includes the elongate opening 44 through which at least one of the pedestal 76, 82 and the plurality of fingers 16 extends.

The cup gripping members 72, 74 are formed from silicone in the illustrated embodiment. Each of the fingers of the plurality of fingers 16, 18 is generally rectangular in plan view. The fingers can take other configurations, however, such as cylindrical or brush-like. The fingers can also be wider than what is shown in the figures, and may even include a curved distal end that contacts the cup C. The cup gripping members 72, 74 and the plurality of fingers 16, 18 can be formed from other flexible materials that can interact with the disposable cups C in the manner described below. In the illustrated embodiment, the plurality of fingers 16, 18 are each centered along a vertical line, which is parallel with the central axis 24. The construction facilitates assembly of the dispenser 10 and can reduce the number of components of the dispenser, but the fingers can be arranged so as not to be centered along a vertical line.

With reference to FIG. 3, the plurality of fingers 16, 18 includes a first finger, for example fingers 16 a, 18 a, and a second finger, for example fingers 16 b, 18 b, which can be positioned above the first finger. The first finger 16 a, 18 a is disposed closer to a closed end 84 of the cavity 14 as compared to an open end 86 of the cavity. Many additional fingers are interposed between the first fingers 16 a, 18 a and the second fingers 16 b, 18 b. This allows the plurality of fingers 16, 18 to interact with the disposable cups C at a location deeper in the cavity 14 as compared to if only a finger or a set of fingers was provided near the open end edge 30 of the housing 12. With continued reference to FIG. 3, since the housing 12 slopes away from the central axis 24 when moving from the closed end 84 of the cavity 16 toward the open end 86, the second finger 16 b, 18 b is longer than the first finger 16 a, 18 a in the illustrated embodiment. Distal ends 90 of each finger can be aligned vertically, which can increase the likelihood that at least one of the plurality of fingers 16, 18 engages an upper lip L of a cup C as the cup is being removed from the dispenser 10. If desired, the fingers can get longer from the closed end 84 of the cavity 14 toward the open end 86 of the cavity, e.g., each respective higher finger can extend further into the cavity 14 as compared to the adjacent lower finger (per the orientation shown in FIG. 3).

The first plurality of fingers 16 is circumferentially spaced from the second plurality of fingers 18. In the illustrated embodiment, the first plurality of fingers 16 is diametrically opposed, i.e., circumferentially spaced 180 degrees from the second plurality of fingers 18. As mentioned above, the housing 12 includes slots 34, 36 extending from the open end edge 30 of the housing 12. The slots 34, 36 are circumferentially disposed between the first plurality of fingers 16 and a second plurality of fingers 18. In the illustrated embodiment, each finger of the plurality of fingers 16, 18 is vertically separated from an adjacent finger a vertical distance d1. The vertical distance d1 is greater than a thickness of the lip L of a respective disposable cup C measured in a vertical direction. The distal end 90 of the first finger 16 a is spaced from the central axis 24 a horizontal distance d2, which is less than the radius of a conventional 3 ounce bath cup measured at the upper lip L of the conventional 3 ounce bath cup. A distal end 92 of the first finger 18 a is similarly spaced from the central axis a horizontal distance d2. This allows the deeper fingers 16 a, 18 a to engage the lip L of a lower most cup C_(L) loaded into the dispenser 10. In the illustrated embodiment, each distal end is spaced no greater than the horizontal distance d2 from the central axis so that when a cup is pulled in the vertical direction while being removed from the dispenser 10, the cup contacts respective distal ends of each finger. As such, if more than one cup is initially grasped by a person, there is a greater likelihood that only the uppermost cup will be removed from the dispenser and the lower cup or cups will be pushed vertically downward by the fingers and separate from the uppermost cup.

The dispenser 10 further includes a cup support 100, which is an upside down cup-shaped support 100 positioned in the cavity 14 of the housing 12, in the illustrated embodiment. The cup support 100 provides support for the deepest cup C_(L) in the dispenser to inhibit crushing of the cup when the cup is gripped by a person to be removed from the dispenser. The upside down cup-shaped support 100 includes a cylindrical wall section 102 and a conical wall section 104. The conical wall section 104 conforms substantially to a sidewall of a conventional 3 ounce bath cup as can be seen in FIG. 3. The cylindrical wall section 102 is smaller in diameter than the diameter measured at the lip L of a conventional 3 ounce bath cup. The upside down cup-shaped support 100 further includes a flange 106, which is horizontally disposed and extends outwardly from the cylindrical wall section 102. The flange 106 is circular and defines the closed end 84 of the cavity 14 in the housing 12. The flange 106 contacts the horizontal shoulder 48 of the inner housing 20 when the dispenser 10 is finally assembled. The upside down cup-shaped support 100 also includes a platform 108, which is generally horizontally oriented in the illustrated embodiment. The upside side down cup-shaped support 100 is hollow in the illustrated embodiment as seen in FIG. 4. With reference to FIG. 5, the platform 108 of the upside down cup-shaped support 100 is positioned vertically above the curved closed end 38, 42 of each slot 34, 36. Also, platform 108 of the cup support 100 is positioned closer to the open end edge 30 of the housing 12 as compared to a curved closed end 38, 42 of each slot 34, 36. The cup support can take other shapes such as a cross-shaped extrusion.

The dispenser 10 also includes a weight 120 connected with the housing 12, which is disposed beneath the upside down cup-shaped support 100 in the illustrated embodiment. The weight 120 weighs more than a force required to pull a conventional paper or plastic 3 ounce bath cup past each of the fingers of the plurality of fingers. The weight 120 is helpful to keep the dispenser 10 from lifting off a countertop during use. The weight 120 in the illustrated embodiment includes an opening 122 that receives the boss 56. Washers 124 and 126 cooperate with a fastener 128 that is threaded into the boss 56 to retain the weight 120 within the housing 12. Other types of weights that inhibit the dispenser from being lifted off the support surface as a cup is being removed from the dispenser 10 can also be used.

A dispenser 10 for dispensing disposable cups C has been described above with particularity. Modifications and alterations will occur to those upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. For example, the vertical spacing between adjacent fingers and the horizontal spacing between opposite fingers can be modified so that the dispenser can be configured to dispense cups of a different size than the 3 ounce bath cup described above. Moreover, other modifications can be made which would occur to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. The invention is not limited only to the embodiments described above. Instead, the invention is broadly defined by the appended claims and the equivalents thereof.

It will be appreciated that various of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives or varieties thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different applications. Also that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims. 

1. A disposable cup dispenser comprising: a housing defining a cavity for receiving a plurality of associated disposable cups; and a plurality of flexible fingers extending from the housing into the cavity, the plurality of fingers including a first finger and a second finger, the first finger being disposed closer to a closed end of the cavity as compared to an open end of the cavity.
 2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the second finger is positioned closer to the open end of the cavity as compared to the first finger.
 3. The dispenser of claim 2, wherein the plurality of fingers includes fingers interposed between the first finger and the second finger.
 4. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fingers are centered along a vertical line.
 5. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the second finger is longer than the first finger.
 6. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fingers each extend from a base, and the plurality of fingers and the base are an integrally formed cup gripping member.
 7. The dispenser of claim 6, wherein the housing includes an inner housing and an outer housing, wherein the base is sandwiched between the inner housing and the outer housing and the inner housing includes an elongate opening through which at least one of a pedestal, which extends from the base, and the plurality of fingers extend.
 8. The dispenser of claim 6, wherein the cup gripping member is formed from silicone.
 9. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the plurality of fingers includes a first plurality of fingers and a second plurality of fingers circumferentially spaced from the first plurality of fingers.
 10. The dispenser of claim 9, wherein the first plurality of fingers are circumferentially spaced about 180 degrees from the second plurality of fingers.
 11. The dispenser of claim 10, wherein the housing includes a first slot and a second slot each extending from an open end edge of the housing, wherein the first slot is circumferentially spaced about 180 degrees from the second slot.
 12. The dispenser of claim 9, wherein the housing includes a slot extending down from an open end edge of the housing, wherein the slot is circumferentially disposed between the first plurality of fingers and the second plurality of fingers.
 13. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the fingers are generally rectangular in plan view.
 14. The dispenser of claim 12, wherein the housing defines a central axis and a distal end of each finger is spaced from the central axis a horizontal distance, which is less than a radius of a conventional 3 ounce bath cup measured at an upper lip of the conventional 3 ounce bath cup.
 15. The dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a cup support positioned in the cavity.
 16. The dispenser of claim 15, wherein the cup support is an upside down cup-shaped support.
 17. The dispenser of claim 16, wherein the upside down cup-shaped support includes a cylindrical wall section and a conical wall section.
 18. The dispenser of claim 17, wherein the conical upper wall section conforms substantially to a side wall of a conventional 3 ounce bath cup.
 19. The dispenser of claim 15, wherein the housing includes a slot extending from an open end edge of the housing, wherein a platform of the cup support is positioned closer to the open end edge of the housing as compared to a curved closed end of the slot.
 20. The dispenser of claim 16, further comprising a weight connected with the housing, the weight weighing more than a force required to pull a conventional paper or plastic 3 ounce bath cup past each of the fingers of the plurality of fingers. 